Martin Nieuwenhuijsen is raiser handler at one of Ruby Orchids Ltd property . Dick Oostdam , the owner of Ruby Nurseries , has several grow sites situated in Drury and Ramarama in South Auckland , New Zealand . Martin supervise a site in Drury which cover over 1.2 hectares growing entirely cymbidium orchidaceous plant , predominately grown for exportation . Martin ’s involution with Ruby Orchids Ltd dates back to 1990 .
Martin was born in Holland in a small town shout out Nederhorst den Berg . He was the untried of 10 children . His mother and Fatherhood still live in Holland and are both in their nineties . Martin come from an upbringing in gardening , his parent were one of the first growers in Holland to grow cymbid orchids commercially during the 1960 ’s . It ’s of no surprisal that six of his sib have all been involved in the prime grow industry . Martin ’s father became a vegetable grower after the 2nd macrocosm warfare , when there was a immense motivation for nutrient , before throw to the ever - pop bloom grow industry in the 1950 ’s .
Being brought up in a family of raiser Martin resolve to link the horticulture industry . After complete in high spirits school he enrolled in and completed a three - twelvemonth certificate in Horticulture at Aalsmeer College . Two of Martin ’s older brothers , who had become flower agriculturalist , adjudicate to immigrate to New Zealand in the late 1980 ’s . His brother Arnold ask round him to follow to New Zealand to work at his recently purchased glasshouse belongings in Ramarama at the age of 18 . Martin did not signify to stay for more than one twelvemonth but three years afterward he was still here . He then decided he should go back to Holland , but after only a few month decide that he wanted to permanently return to New Zealand .
On his return to New Zealand in 1990 , Martin was extend a part metre job working for Dick Oostdam , which began his foresighted working relationship with Ruby Orchids Ltd. In 1995 Martin lease glasshouse in the Drury area and grew lily in the summertime while still work in the winter for Dick . He did this for several years before settle to exercise full - metre with his other sibling Paul growing Alstroemeria flowers between 1998 - 2000 . At this time Arnold , who was still the growing manager of Florama ( that he had just sold to a Taiwanese consortium ) ask Martin to get along back to knead with him . Martin took this chance to work with his crony who wanted to in Martins words , “ Instil all of his acquire knowledge on me ” teach him the technical aspects of growing cymbidium orchids .
In 2004 the opportunity to puzzle out for Ruby Orchids Ltd presented itself which Martin accept . At that time Dick had not purchased the second Drury place but having the certainty of an excellent agriculturalist like Martin gave him the self-confidence to exposit his business sector . Martin was then relocated to the new site where he has been happily employed at for the preceding 14 long time .
Read more at Grower2Grower ( Stefan Vogrincic )
